Ascension
by Dr. Vorlon
Summary: Sakura recieves an invitation in the mail. The Council of Elders in Hong Kong have selected her to become a true sorceress! COMPLETED! Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Ascension  
  
Chapter 1  
  
"Hey, what's this?"  
  
An unusual letter came in the mail one day for Sakura Avalon. Actually, it was more of an invitation than a letter. Inside of it were written these words:  
  
To Miss Sakura Avalon,  
  
The Council of Elders requests the honour of your presence. We invite you to come to Hong Kong on the 27th of July. Your time of ascension may be close at hand!  
  
Sincerely,  
  
The Council of Elders  
  
Sakura didn't know what to make of this. She decided to ask Keroberos about it. Keroberos (or "Kero" as his friends were fond of calling him) was the guardian of the Clow Book and therefore knew a lot about magic. Surely he would know what the invitation meant. But he didn't.  
  
"I dunno Sakura," Kero said. "This one's got me stumped too!"  
  
"You mean you've never heard of this ascension thing either?" Sakura asked. "I thought you were suppose to know stuff like this!"  
  
"Hey, I don't know EVERYTHING! I mean, I didn't know you were goin' to turn the Clow Cards into Star Cards but ya did! Like I keep sayin': 'expect the unexpected'."  
  
Sakura grumbled. Then she got an idea. "I know! I'll ask Li! He's from Hong Kong, maybe he knows!"  
  
Li Showran was a friend of Sakura's, even though they didn't start out that way. When Sakura first released the Clow Cards from the book, Li-a descendant of Clow Reed-was sent to try and recapture them himself. In the end, however, Yue passed judgement to Sakura, making her the Mistress of the Cards.  
  
Sakura rang Li's doorbell. A few seconds later, Li answered.  
  
"Oh, uh, hi Sakura," said Li, fighting back a blush. Over the years, Li had developed warm feelings towards his former rival. However, he never quite felt comfortable expressing those feelings.  
  
"Hey Li! You don't mind me stopping over unannounced, do you?"  
  
"Uh, no, not at all. Come in." Li led Sakura into his home. "Can I, uh, get you anything?"  
  
"No, that's fine. Listen, I was wondering if you could help me out with something."  
  
"Sure. What is it?"  
  
"Well, I got this weird invitation in the mail. Apparently it's from Hong Kong and it was sent by something called the Council of-"  
  
"--Elders? The Council of Elders?" A surprised look came across Li's face.  
  
"Uh, yeah. You've heard of them?"  
  
Li snatched the invitation from Sakura's hands. He immediately opened it and began reading it for himself.  
  
"I, I don't believe it-" Li whispered.  
  
"Li, what's this all about?"  
  
But Li did not reply. Instead, he fainted flat on his face.  
  
"Li!" Sakura bent down to her fainted friend. "Li, are you okay? Speak to me!"  
  
But Li was out like a light. Whatever that invitation was about, it had startled the heck out of Li.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
Please leave me your response. This is my first Cardcaptors fic so you'll have to excuse me if it's not that good. If you didn't like it, I'll just bugger off and you'll never have to hear from me again. 


	2. Chapter 2

Ascension  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Finally, Li regained consciousness. As his eyes came back into focus, the first thing that Li saw was the lovely Sakura staring back down at him.  
  
"Li! Are you alright?"  
  
Li could not stop his face from going beet-red. "Uh, yeah. I'm okay. What am I doing on the floor?"  
  
"You just sorta fainted after reading that invitation-"  
  
"The invitation?" Li suddenly realised that it hadn't been a dream.  
  
"Yeah, you seemed pretty startled by it. Is it really that bad?"  
  
"Bad? Oh, no Sakura, not at all! In fact, it's probably the best news you'll ever receive! The Elders have selected you as a possible candidate for ascension!"  
  
Sakura didn't know what the heck Li was talking about. "What are you talking about Li? What does 'ascension' mean?"  
  
Li got back up on his feet before he began his explanation. "As you know Sakura, there are plenty of people in the world who practice the art of magic. However, only a select few of those people are considered true sorcerers. The Council of Elders decides who is worthy enough to call himself or herself a sorcerer or sorceress. And now it would seem, Sakura, that the Elders may consider you worthy enough to 'ascend' to the rank of sorceress!"  
  
"Me? But why me? What makes me so special?"  
  
Li could think of a lot of things that made Sakura special. However, there was only one reason that the Elders would choose her.  
  
"Because you transformed the Cards. That's not an easy thing to do especially for someone whose powers hadn't fully matured or who hasn't much education in the ways of wizardry. Word of your success with the Star Cards has apparently reached Hong Kong and now the Elders want to meet you for themselves!"  
  
It was then that Li noticed that Sakura wasn't showing the same amount of enthusiasm as he was. "You are going to meet them, aren't you?"  
  
Sakura scratched her head. "Well, uh-"  
  
"Sakura?"  
  
"This is happening all so fast. Can I sleep on it?"  
  
Li fell down anime-style. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard.  
  
"Sleep on it? Sakura, what's there to think about? This is the greatest honour any magic user could receive! There are a lot of people out there who'd give anything for this kind of chance-myself included!"  
  
"Yeah, but how would I convince my dad to let me go all the way to Hong Kong? He's gonna want to know why! Plus, I'd need to book plane tickets-"  
  
"My family and I can take care of all those little details, no problem!"  
  
"You can?"  
  
"Yes! All I need from you is the answer!"  
  
"Wow, it's really that important, huh?"  
  
"It's the chance of a lifetime! If you don't go to see the Elders now, you might never get another chance like this again!"  
  
Sakura had never seen Li so excited about anything before. Obviously, it WAS that important.  
  
"Well, my dad always said that you should never miss out on the chance of a lifetime. All right-I'll do it!"  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
Please R&R! Despite some complaints I might get, I've decided to stick with the English version names. It's just easier for me! 


	3. Chapter 3

Ascension  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Within a period of less than 24 hours, Sakura found herself on a jet heading for Hong Kong. She wasn't exactly sure how Li pulled it all off, only that he did. First, Sakura's dad had received a mysterious phone call and by the time the call had ended, he had given his daughter permission to go with Li to visit his family.  
  
'SOMEBODY must've sweet-talked him good,' thought Sakura.  
  
Also, Li had somehow managed to acquire first-class seats aboard the plane. As far as Sakura could deduce, the Showran family was either very wealthy or very influential. Maybe both.  
  
"Wow Li, you sure did go all out for me!" Sakura said as she sat in her comfy first-class seat.  
  
"Well, an ascension candidate deserves to travel in style," replied Li. However, even if Sakura weren't being considered for ascension, he still probably would've gone through all the trouble.  
  
"You know Li," began Sakura, "something just occurred to me. If you had become the Master of the Cards, you'd probably be the one up for ascension instead of me."  
  
"Yeah, I guess I would," mumbled Li.  
  
"Yeah, but instead Sakura was chosen! So tough luck kid!"  
  
The voice came from inside of Sakura's carry-on bag. Unzipping the bag, Sakura was shocked to find that Kero had stowed away inside.  
  
"Kero! What are you doing here?"  
  
"What? Ya didn't think I was goin' to miss out on your big moment, did ya? Aw, come on! Yer glad I came, aren't ya? Admit it!"  
  
"Would you two keep it down!" interrupted Li. "You're drawing a lot of unwanted attention!" Indeed, a number of people were beginning to stare.  
  
"He's right Kero," said Sakura. "Back in the bag!"  
  
"But it's so stuffy in there!"  
  
"Kero!"  
  
"Can't ya at least throw in some pudding snacks? I haven't eaten in almost an hour!"  
  
"They don't serve any pudding on this flight!"  
  
"What? Yer kiddin', right?"  
  
"Kero! Now!"  
  
"Alright, alright!"  
  
Kero hunched back into the bag just in time to avoid being seen by a passing flight attendant.  
  
'No in-flight pudding? This is ridiculous,' Kero thought to himself. 'If Li's mom doesn't have any pudding, then there's goin' to be one VERY angry Guardian Beast on the loose!'  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
Please R&R! I would really appreciate it! 


	4. Chapter 4

Ascension  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Eventually, the plane landed in Hong Kong. As Sakura and Li disembarked, they found that Li's mother, Yelan, was waiting for them.  
  
"Mother!"  
  
"It's good to see you again, my son," Yelan said. "And this must be Sakura."  
  
"That would be me," responded Sakura. "I'm honoured to meet you."  
  
"And I am honoured to meet you," Yelan bowed. "I'm even more honoured that you will be staying with us during your time here. The limo is waiting to take you to our home."  
  
"Limo?" Sakura had never ridden in a limo before. She was quite amazed at how much room there was, even with all three of them sitting in the back.  
  
"We're quite secure in here," said Yelan, "so it should be okay for you to allow Keroberos his breathing room."  
  
Sakura was surprised. "You knew Kero was with me?"  
  
"Well it's about time!" Kero burst free of Sakura's bag. "A bear can only hold his breath for so long, y'know!"  
  
"Yes, Sakura, I was quite capable of sensing Keroberos' presence," answered Yelan. "Plus, I could hear his stomach growling!"  
  
"Yeah, I'm still starvin'! I could sure go for some pudding right about now!"  
  
"Pudding? Now that's interesting," Yelan said. "Although I've read everything that Clow Reed ever wrote about his work, he never stated anywhere in his books that the Guardian Beast of the Seal has an affinity with pudding!"  
  
"Aw man, don't tell me you've got no pudding either!"  
  
Yelan smiled. "I'm certain we could arrange something when we reach our house."  
  
"Great-more waitin'!"  
  
"Kero!" scolded Sakura. "Try to show some manners!"  
  
"Well, excuuuuuse me! It's awfully hard to be polite when you're wastin' away to nothing! If ya'd packed some pudding ahead of time, I wouldn't be in this predicament now, would I?"  
  
"How was I suppose to know you were going to stow away in my bag?"  
  
"You should've known! I mean, it's like this isn't the first time I've done this sort of thing!"  
  
While Sakura and Kero were having their frank exchange of opinions, Yelan was quietly whispering something to her son.  
  
"She's quite a lovely girl Li. I always suspected that there was ulterior motive in your decision to stay and keep an eye on Sakura-"  
  
Li's face went red. "Moooom! Shhhh! She might hear you!"  
  
Yelan decided that this was probably not the time to be discussing such things. After all, they only had a few days to get Sakura ready for her meeting with the Elders. Nevertheless, Yelan was certainly looking forward to spending time with this young lady who had undoubtedly captured the interest of her son.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
Please R&R!!! 


	5. Chapter 5

Ascension  
  
Chapter 5  
  
To say that Li's house was big would be an understatement of galactic proportions. There was no doubt in Sakura's mind now that the Showran family possessed a more than healthy income.  
  
'How is it that I always end up becoming friends with the wealthy?' Sakura thought to herself.  
  
Upon entering the house, Sakura was immediately greeted by Li's four older sisters who wasted no time expressing to Sakura how cute they thought she was.  
  
"Isn't she just the prettiest?"  
  
"She's so lovely, just like us!"  
  
"The Elders are going to pick her for sure!"  
  
"You've got that right! I mean, how could they POSSIBLY turn down someone as adorable as this?"  
  
Sakura did her best to stay cool, but this was becoming a little too much. Fortunately, Yelan was able fend her daughters away from the overwhelmed Sakura.  
  
"Daughters, please," Yelan said. "Sakura is our guest. Let's give her a little breathing room."  
  
"Sorry mother," they all said at once.  
  
"Li will show you to your room Sakura. As for Kero, I believe we may have something 'sweet' for him in the kitchen."  
  
Kero flew out of Sakura's bag. "At laaaaaaaast!"  
  
"Oh, how cute!" Feimei exclaimed. "A talking teddy bear!"  
  
Now it was Kero's turn to be overwhelmed. "Woah! Hey, watch it girls! What the--? What're ya doin'? Don't tug at my wings! I need those to fly!"  
  
Meanwhile, Li lead Sakura to her room. It was a nice room-really nice!  
  
"Wow! This is a nice room Li-really nice!" Sakura said.  
  
"I'm glad you like it," said Li. Seeing Sakura happy always seemed to give him this warm feeling inside. "Sorry about my sister. They've ALWAYS been like that!"  
  
"Oh, that's okay. They seem really nice. By the way, do they have any magical powers?"  
  
"A little, but not enough to be trained in the arts of magic." Li scratched his head. "Well, uh, I guess I'll just let you settle in. Dinner's at six. After dinner, my mother wants to talk to you about your upcoming meeting with the Elders."  
  
"Sure, no problem!"  
  
"So, I guess I'll, uh, see you then. If you need anything at all, you just ask for it." With that, Li left.  
  
'I wish he'd stop doing that,' Sakura thought, 'I really like him.' Although she had hated Li in the beginning (maybe 'hated' is too strong a word. 'Disliked is perhaps more appropriate), their adventures capturing the Clow Cards helped her grow to respect him. If it hadn't been for Li, Sakura would never have succeeded in sealing all the Cards. Sakura owed a lot to Li, and she really considered him a friend.  
  
'I really like him,' she thought. 'But I think I'd like him even more if he didn't avoid me so much.'  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
Please R&R! 


	6. Chapter 6

Ascension  
  
Chapter 6  
  
After a delicious dinner, (followed by an equally delicious pudding dessert, much to Kero's delight) it was time for Yelan to have her little talk with Sakura. She decided to have it somewhere quiet, so they went to the family library. It was just Yelan and Sakura, with Li standing quietly in the background.  
  
"Now Sakura," Yelan said, "your meeting with the Elders will take place tomorrow night during a special ceremony."  
  
"What kind of ceremony?" Sakura asked.  
  
"Well, more of a party actually. Ascension is a very important event-one that does not occur often these days. You're the first candidate to be selected in a very long time Sakura, and I predict that a lot of magic users are going to show up to congratulate you on becoming a sorceress."  
  
"But I haven't actually been made a sorceress yet, have I?"  
  
"No, that's true. However, the fact that they've considered you for ascension is a pretty good sign that you will be chosen. Most magicians never even make it to the list. Even Clow Reed himself was rejected."  
  
This was a real surprise to Sakura. "Clow Reed? But he was one of the most powerful magicians ever! How come HE was rejected?"  
  
"Clow Reed was indeed very powerful, however, it takes more than just great power to earn the position of sorcerer. The Elders felt that Clow Reed was too eccentric and playboyish to deserve becoming a sorcerer. But you Sakura, if you show the Elders the same good manners and pleasant disposition that you've shown my family, I have no doubt that you will be a sorceress by midnight tomorrow."  
  
"So that means I might actually surpass Clow Reed?" Sakura never imagined that she could ever succeed where Clow Reed failed.  
  
"That's one way of looking at it," Yelan said. "I sense that you brought the Cards with you."  
  
"Yeah. I figured since the Cards are very important to your family, you might want to see them."  
  
"How thoughtful of you. Actually, the Clow Cards were important to my family, but now that you've changed them into Star Cards and made them your own, they're an important part of YOUR family now." It was then that Yelan glanced over at Li. "On the other hand, it's possible that one day the Cards might become a part of my family again if you and Li were to-"  
  
But Yelan stopped when she noticed Li shaking his head and making gestures that suggested he was trying to tell her not to finish that sentence.  
  
"What?" asked Sakura. "What is it? What would Li and me do?"  
  
"Never mind," said Yelan. "Forget I brought it up." An embarrassed Li left the room.  
  
"Would you like me to show you the Cards?" inquired Sakura.  
  
"Perhaps tomorrow," replied Yelan. "I'm certain that the Elders will want to see them as well. After all, the Cards are the main reason they're considering you."  
  
"Okay. I guess I'll go get ready for bed then."  
  
As Sakura left, Yelan began to think. Clearly Sakura was a sweet and charming young girl. It was no wonder that her son was attracted to her. Yelan had also sensed that, on some level, Sakura probably felt the same way about Li.  
  
'Sakura would make a wonderful addition to the Showran family," Yelan thought, "if only my son could get over being shy."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
Please R&R 


	7. Chapter 7

Ascension  
  
Chapter 7  
  
"Hurry up Sakura!" Kero said. "They're all waitin' for ya!"  
  
It was the night of Ascension. Magic users from near and far had gathered at the Showran residence to give Sakura their congratulations. Sakura was up in her guestroom wearing one of Madison's battle costumes. She had been fully dressed and ready to go for at least fifteen minutes, yet she had not left the room. Instead, she was just standing in front of the mirror, staring at her own reflection.  
  
Li came into the room, dressed in his usual green robes. "What's going on? Everybody's waiting for Sakura."  
  
"Aw, I dunno," said Kero. "I think she might be getting cold feet."  
  
"Maybe I should have a talk with her."  
  
"What? But I'm the one who always has a talk with her!"  
  
Nevertheless, Li wanted to handle this one himself-alone. "You know Kero, there's pudding downstairs."  
  
"Pudding?" At the speed of light, Kero was gone.  
  
Now Li could talk to Sakura. "Are you alright Sakura?"  
  
Sakura looked up from the mirror. "Hmm? Oh, yeah, I'm okay. I'm just a little nervous about tonight."  
  
"You mean about meeting the Elders alone?"  
  
Sakura nodded. "Your mom told me that when the Elders finally show up, they're going to meet with me in private. Which means that no one else will be able to be there with me. I've just got this really bad feeling about that."  
  
"Don't worry Sakura, I'm sure you'll be fine. I don't know exactly what the meeting involves, but whatever it is, I'm sure you can handle it. I mean, you were able to capture and seal all of the Cards!"  
  
"Yeah, but I could never have done it without you." Sakura looked up into Li's eyes. "I wish you could be there with me Li."  
  
"Yeah-so do I." Li took Sakura's hand. Come on, we'd better not keep our guests waiting!"  
  
Holding hands, Sakura and Li descended down the stairs to the party. Yelan was waiting for them, along with about 30 other guests.  
  
"Here she is at last," Yelan announced. "Everyone, this lovely young lady is the one whom we've all gathered here tonight to honour. Say hello to Cardcaptor Sakura!"  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
Not a very long chapter I know, but I'm having a little trouble coming up with ideas. Anyway, tell me what you think! 


	8. Chapter 8

Ascension  
  
Chapter 8  
  
"Uhhh, hi everyone!" Sakura said, as she walked into the room.  
  
Li and Kero weren't kidding. EVERYONE wanted to congratulate Sakura and wish her luck. It was a little overwhelming, but Sakura managed to keep her cool as she shook hand after hand. And there were a lot of hands to shake. Sakura couldn't believe how many people had shown up just for her. She was really starting to appreciate the importance of this event.  
  
After everyone had met Sakura, they began to mingle and chit-chat with one another. But when the doorbell rang, the whole household became dead silent. Yelan opened the door and in stepped three old men and one woman. An odd hush came over the crowd and it only took Sakura a fraction of a second to deduce why:  
  
The Elders had arrived.  
  
"Who here is Sakura?" asked the oldest of the Elders.  
  
Sakura stepped forward. "Uh, that would be me."  
  
The Elders looked her over. "Tonight, we the Elders will determine whether or not this young girl is worthy enough to call herself a sorceress. I trust that an appropriate meeting room has been arranged?"  
  
"But of course," Yelan said. "We've set the library aside just for this occasion."  
  
"Superb. Well Sakura, whenever you are ready, we will begin."  
  
Sakura looked over at Kero and Li. "Well, I guess this is it."  
  
"Break a leg Sakura!" Kero said. "Not literally of course!"  
  
Li stepped up to Sakura. "Just remember: even if I'm not physically in the room, I'll always be with you in spirit."  
  
That caught Sakura by surprise. She had never heard Li (or for that matter, anyone else) say anything quite so beautiful. In fact, she hadn't really expected him to say much to her at all, yet he had clearly just spoken to her from the heart.  
  
'Could it be?' Sakura thought to herself. 'Does Li share the same feelings for me that I secretly share for him?'  
  
"Why thank you Li," was Sakura's initial response. However, in her mind, it seemed like a very inadequate response, especially when she knew what it was she really wanted to do. She decided to also give Li a big hug. "Thank you very much!"  
  
Li, though shocked and caught off guard by being hugged by the one girl he cared more about than anybody else (with the possible exception of his mother and sisters), reciprocated quickly with a hug of his own.  
  
"Awwwwwww!" was the reaction of everyone else in the room. Embarrassed, Sakura and Li let go of each other, their faces beet-red.  
  
"Okay, I'm ready now!" said Sakura sheepishly. The Elders lead Sakura into the library while everyone else just watched. The female Elder was the last one in.  
  
"This is a private meeting," The female Elder said to the crowd. "The door is to remain closed until our decision is made. Until then, no one is to interrupt us NO MATTER WHAT!"  
  
And with that, the door was sealed. All Li could do now was wait.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
Please R&R! 


	9. Chapter 9

Ascension  
  
Chapter 9  
  
There were five chairs inside the library. Four of the chairs had been arranged into a semi-circle that was facing the fifth chair. The Elders sat down in the four chairs while Sakura took a seat in the fifth. At first, the Elders did not say anything. They just stared at Sakura silently, and that made Sakura start to feel a little uncomfortable. She still wasn't entirely certain of what this meeting would involve, and she couldn't forget what that one Elder said: "No one is to interrupt us NO MATTER WHAT!"  
  
Finally, one of the Elders spoke. "Tell us about yourself, Sakura."  
  
"Uhhh, okay," Sakura replied. "What would you like to know?"  
  
"Everything."  
  
Sakura was surprised. "Everything?"  
  
"Yes, everything," said one of the other Elders. "We want to know everything about you. Tell us about your family and friends, your hopes and dreams. Tell us how you came into possession of the Clow Cards and how you eventually changed them into Star Cards. Tell us about your life."  
  
"Well, okay. Where do I begin?"  
  
"Perhaps you could start by telling us about you and your family," suggested another of the Elders.  
  
"Well, My name is Sakura Avalon. I live in Reedington with my dad, Aiden, and my older brother, Tori. My mom, Natasha, died when I was very young-"  
  
And Sakura went on like this for over an hour, telling all the little bits and pieces about her life. Sakura felt like she was rambling on, yet the Elders did not seem to mind. They quietly listened to her every word with patience. Finally, Sakura got to the parts about her releasing, capturing, and eventually transforming the Cards. It was here that the Elders began to voice their opinions.  
  
"So you are saying that you had help in capturing the Cards?" asked the Elder who looked like he was a little less old than the others were. "I should have known! There was no way that someone whose had no training could have possibly captured all of the Cards on their own!"  
  
"Now Walker," said the head Elder, "let us not be rude. You are forgetting that she was able to transform the Cards despite the fact that her powers were not yet that strong. And that is certainly something to be proud about. May we see the Cards, Sakura?"  
  
"Of course you may," said Sakura, sounding as polite as humanly possible. She pulled out the Card Book from under the cape of her battle costume. Upon opening the book, the Cards flew out and began to hover around her. The Elders (except for Walker) were most impressed.  
  
"The Cards are very fond of you, Sakura. You are a very fortunate child indeed."  
  
Sakura blushed.  
  
"But it is a fortune she does not deserve!"  
  
"Walker, please-"  
  
"She had help in capturing the Cards! She did not earn all of them! In my opinion, she does not deserve the honour of having the Cards, or the honour of ascension!"  
  
"That is enough Walker! Alright Sakura, before we make our decision, there is one more question we would like to ask you. There is no right or wrong answer to this question, you just have to give us your honest opinion."  
  
"Okay, shoot!" said Sakura.  
  
"In your opinion, why do you deserve to be a sorceress?"  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
So what do you think? DOES Sakura deserve to be a sorceress? R&R! 


	10. Chapter 10

Ascension  
  
Chapter 10  
  
Sakura was stumped. She did not know how to answer the Elder's question, even though they had told her there was no right or wrong answer.  
  
"Uh, that's a very good question," Sakura said. "Why do I deserve to become a sorceress? Well, uh, because I, uh-"  
  
"Take your time," said the Head Elder. "We are in no particular rush."  
  
"The reason I deserve to become a sorceress is, uh, well-" try as she could, Sakura could not think of an appropriate response. She decided to come clean. "Look, the truth is, I'm not really sure that I DO deserve to become a sorceress."  
  
The Head Elder raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? And why, pray-tell, do you say that?"  
  
"To be honest with you, I'd never even heard of 'Ascension' until a few days ago."  
  
"You did not know of Ascension?" inquired Walker, standing up from his seat. "I find that hard to believe! Virtually every magic user in the world knows of Ascension! It is one of the things they learn about while studying the art of magic."  
  
"Yeah, but I wasn't raised by a family of magicians. I was brought up to be an ordinary girl. Kero taught me everything I needed to know in order to capture the Cards, but that's all I've really learned. I've never really shown much interest in magic. I didn't even want to become a Cardcaptor at first. I only became one because I had to."  
  
"So you feel that you do not deserve the honour of being a sorceress because of you lack of interest in magic?"  
  
Sakura nodded. "I think that Ascension should go to someone who can really appreciate magic."  
  
"Then your saying that only a person who appreciates magic deserves to become a sorceress?"  
  
Sakura nodded again.  
  
"You say you did not want to be a Cardcaptor in the beginning. Do you still wish you had never released the Cards in the first place?"  
  
"Well, no, not exactly. If I hadn't discovered the Cards, I would never have met Kero or Li. The Cards have changed my life for the better and I don't think I'd want things to go back to the way they were before I found them."  
  
"In other words, you care about the Cards?"  
  
"Yes. Very much."  
  
"And do take pride in being the Mistress of the Cards?"  
  
"Well, yes, I suppose I do-"  
  
"Then it sounds to me like you are the type of person who appreciates magic. Therefore, by your own definition, you are the type of person who deserves to become a sorceress! That is a very good answer you have given us Sakura."  
  
"Oh, well, uh, thank you," said Sakura, although she wasn't really sure what she had just said.  
  
"I believe that the time has come for us to make our decision," the Head Elder said, looking at his fellow Elders. "All those in favour of Sakura becoming a sorceress shall raise their hand. All those opposed will not. And remember: the vote HAS to be unanimous!"  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
To answer a question that was posted, this is obviously NOT the last chapter of the story, nor will the next one be! There are still quite a few chapters to go before this fic is finished. I don't know how many exactly, but as long as it says, "TO BE CONTINUED" at the bottom, there will always be more than one chapter left. When it says, "TO BE CONCLUDED", that means that there's only one chapter left. Please R&R! 


	11. Chapter 11

Ascension  
  
Chapter 11  
  
"All those in favour of Sakura becoming a sorceress, raise their hand."  
  
The Head Elder raised his hand. So did two of the other Elders. Unfortunately, out of the four Elders, only three hands were in the air. The hand that was not, belonged to Walker.  
  
"It would seem, Walker, that you do not share the same opinion as the rest of us," the Head Elder stated.  
  
"Indeed I do not."  
  
"Would you mind favouring us with an explanation as to why?"  
  
"Certainly," said Walker, as he pointed his finger squarely at Sakura. "This child is unworthy! She may have demonstrated good manners to us, and she may have shown that she does care about magic. But we are forgetting one important factor."  
  
"And what would that be?"  
  
"Her power! In order to become a sorceress, a candidate must have both good manners AND great powers! I am not yet convinced of the latter."  
  
Sakura spoke up. "I know I'm not the strongest magic-user in the world, and as I already told you, I haven't had much training. But I am doing the best I can!"  
  
"But is your best good enough? You have admitted that you needed help in capturing the Cards. To me, that suggests a person whose powers are not sufficient enough to meet the high standards of Ascension." Walker turned to his fellow Elders. "I wish to test her powers for myself, to determine whether or not she is strong enough to accept the honour we offer."  
  
"And just how do you plan to test her powers?" the Head Elder asked.  
  
"A contest. My powers against hers. Right here, right now! If Sakura can defeat me in battle, I will change my vote to a yes. However, if she does NOT beat me, you must change your votes to no."  
  
The other Elders chatted amongst themselves for a minute before the Head Elder finally spoke. "It is acceptable, under one condition: that you must use only half of your powers, Walker. As an Elder, your powers are far superior to those of an average magician. In order for this to be a fair contest, Sakura must have a fair chance."  
  
"Very well. I will only use half of my full strength."  
  
The Elders looked at Sakura. "Sakura, is this to your satisfaction as well?"  
  
"Uh, well, I uh, guess so," stammered Sakura. "Uh, how exactly am I suppose to fight him?"  
  
"With your Cards, of course!"  
  
"Oh, yeah! Of course!" Sakura whipped out her Star Key and began to recite the incantation.  
  
Key of the Star,  
  
With powers burning bright,  
  
Reveal the staff,  
  
And shine your light  
  
RELEASE!  
  
With those words, the key transformed into the Sealing Wand Sakura used to capture and activate the Cards.  
  
'Battle him with the Cards? This is like the Final Judgement all over again!' Sakura thought to herself. 'Oh well, I was able to defeat Yue, I'm sure I can defeat this guy too. After all, they said he can't use his full powers so this shouldn't be too hard-right?"  
  
Deep down, a part of Sakura was not so sure.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
Sorry this took so long, but I'm back in college now, so my time is a little taken up. Nevertheless, I should be able to find time every Friday to add another chapter. I'll try not to go longer than a week without updating. Please R&R! 


	12. Chapter 12

Ascension  
  
Chapter 12  
  
So, there was Sakura and Walker, standing at opposite sides of the library, facing each other, while the Elders watched quietly. Sakura clutched her wand nervously, wondering just what sort of conflict was about to transpire. Walker looked so cool and complacent, as though there was no doubt in his mind as to how this was going to turn out.  
  
"Feel free to make the first move," said Walker confidently. "It does not really matter to me. I have never lost a challenge. Even at half-strength, I will still defeat you!  
  
Sakura looked at her Star Cards, wondering which one she should use.  
  
'I don't really want to hurt this guy,' Sakura thought, 'maybe if I could just incapacitate him-'  
  
Just then, it occurred to Sakura what Card would be perfect for that. She flung the Card high into the air and activated it with her wand.  
  
"Freeze Card! Stop Walker in his tracks!"  
  
Before Walker could react, a vicious blizzard had frozen his body in a block of ice. Sakura seemed quite surprised.  
  
"Wow, that was easier than I thought! I figured he was going to be really hard to-"  
  
But suddenly, Walker's body began to glow red and the ice around him melted away.  
  
'I knew it was too good to be true,' Sakura thought.  
  
"If that is the best you can do," Walker said, with melted ice dripping from his face, "then you have already lost! Now you will see what a true master of magic can do!"  
  
A huge bolt of lightning flew from Walker's hand directly at Sakura, who just barely managed to jump out of the way. Walker continued to fire lighting bolts while Sakura continued to avoid them.  
  
"Come on, fight!" Walker snarled. "Show me what you are really made of!"  
  
Frantically flipping through her Cards, Sakura pulled out the Fire Card. She knew it was a dangerous one to use, but desperate times call for desperate measures. And Sakura was indeed getting desperate.  
  
"Fire Card!"  
  
A blaze of fire came roaring at Walker, but the more experienced magician was able to douse the flames by summoning up a title wave of water. The wave extinguished the Fire Card and thoroughly soaked Sakura. (Not to mention the battle costume she was wearing.)  
  
"So you like to play with fire, do you?" With a snap of his fingers, a flaming ball appeared in Walker's hand. "Well then play with this!"  
  
Walker flung the ball in Sakura's direction, and she instinctively shielded her face. Yet the ball was not aimed at Sakura; it was aimed at her wand. Sakura's Sealing Wand was immediately engulfed in flames.  
  
"Yeoch!" cried Sakura, as she dropped the flaming wand. Within seconds, her wand had melted into a smoking pink puddle.  
  
'Oh no! My wand!' thought Sakura. 'He's destroyed my wand! This can't be happening! Without my wand, How can I summon the Cards?'  
  
Sakura knew she had to think of something fast, because Walker was already powering up for what could easily be the final blow.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
Yeah, I know. Another cliffhanger! Ain't I a stinker? I hope this chapter wasn't too lame. Writing action scenes is always very hard for me to do. R&R! 


	13. Chapter 13

Ascension  
  
Chapter 13  
  
Li knew something was wrong.  
  
Everyone could hear a great deal of noise and commotion coming from behind the library door-noise that clearly suggested a struggle of some sorts. But more than that, Li could sense that Sakura was in trouble. Although he had no idea what was happening to her, he could feel her pain, her fear. The Elders had given explicit instructions that no one was to enter the room for any reason. But even so, Li couldn't just stand by and do nothing; he had to help her-somehow, he had to help her.  
  
Closing his eyes, Li concentrated as hard as he could. 'Please,' he called out with his mind, 'if there is anybody out there, if there is a greater power that can hear my pleas, I beg you, help me find a way to reach Sakura!'  
  
Inside the library, Sakura was about as terrified as she could possibly be. She had been in dangerous situations before, but she had always had the power of the Cards to protect her. With her Sealing Wand destroyed, all Sakura could do now was dodge Walker's energy blasts.  
  
"Well what are you waiting for?" snarled Walker. "Come on and fight back!"  
  
"I can't!" cried Sakura. "I don't have my wand!"  
  
"How pathetic!" Walker turned and faced the other Elders. "Do you see what I mean? This child's power is weak and useless! She is not worthy enough to be called a sorceress!"  
  
"As much as I hate to admit it," the Head Elder said, "it seems you may be right. However, we cannot change our votes unless Sakura has been defeated. And as you can plainly see, she is still standing."  
  
"Not for long." Walker turned back to Sakura and charged up another energy ball in his hand. "This blast of energy will finish the battle for good. The energy in this ball will immediately neutralise the minuscule amounts of magic you have left, Sakura. You will be rendered completely helpless and completely devoid of magic!"  
  
Sakura could not believe she was hearing this. "What? You can't take away my powers!"  
  
"What do you care? You said it yourself that you cannot use your precious Cards anymore. Your magic is no good to you anymore! In a few seconds, you will be an ordinary girl, just like you originally wanted!"  
  
"No! You can't!"  
  
"I agree!" the Head Elder spoke up. "This is going too far Walker!"  
  
"Stay out of this old man! There is nothing in the rules that say I cannot do this! I am well within my right! Say goodbye to your magic Sakura!"  
  
"No! Please!" But Walker was already preparing to launch the energy ball. With only a few seconds left before being reduced to a life devoid of magic, Sakura screamed out the name of the one person that had been on her mind since she had entered that room.  
  
"Li!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and Sakura found that she was no longer inside the library. Instead, she found herself in a mysterious void, surrounded by what looked like hundreds of beautiful stars.  
  
"I know this place," Sakura whispered to herself. "I've been here before."  
  
"Yes you have," called out a familiar voice. "You were here when we first met."  
  
Sakura immediately recognised the voice. "Clow Reed! Is that you?"  
  
"Yes Sakura. I have brought you here because there is someone who wishes to talk to you."  
  
Then, out of nowhere, Li Showran materialised in front of Sakura's eyes.  
  
"Li?"  
  
"Sakura, I'm not sure how, but Clow Reed has managed to bring us together. I sensed that something terrible had happened to you and I needed to know what."  
  
Sakura approached Li and before she knew it, found herself crying with her face buried into his green robes. Li put his arm around her trying to comfort her as best he could.  
  
"It's terrible Li! Walker challenged me to a duel and he destroyed my wand! And now he's going to take away my powers and there's nothing I can do about it! I'm scared!"  
  
Li managed to get Sakura to look up at him, although she was still crying. "You can't give up Sakura! You've got to fight back! If you let Walker take away your magic, the Star Cards will lose their powers as well and they will die! Is that what you want to happen?"  
  
"Of course not, but I can't fight back without my wand!"  
  
"You don't need your wand! Use the Cards without your wand! It IS possible!"  
  
"But I don't know how! I'm not as good with magic as you, your mom, or Clow Reed!"  
  
It was then that Li did something incredible-something that he never thought he would ever have the guts to do. Without saying a word, Li leaned over and kissed Sakura gently on the cheek.  
  
Sakura stepped back surprised. "Li, I--"  
  
"I know you can do it Sakura," said Li. "If anyone can, it will be you."  
  
Just then, there was another flash of light and Sakura found herself back in the library at the exact same moment that she left. Walker was still there, about to fire his shot. Everything was exactly the way it was when Sakura had left.  
  
Except one thing had changed: Sakura was no longer afraid.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
R&R! I've received a few complaints from people that my chapters are too short. The reason for that is because I'm in college now and I don't have as much time for writing as I use to. As you can see, I did try to make this one longer, however, doing so seriously cut into my homework time and my studies have suffered slightly as a result. If you want me to continue writing long chapters, please understand that it will take me more time to get them to you. 


	14. Chapter 14

Ascension  
  
Chapter 14  
  
"Say goodbye to your powers Sakura!"  
  
Walker hurled at Sakura the ball of energy that would neutralise all of her magical abilities and render her a mere mortal. Instead of fleeing, however, Sakura stood her ground. She knew what Card could possibly save her from this terrible fate. But would it work? Sakura knew there was only one way to find out.  
  
"Mirror Card!" A magical mirror materialised into Sakura's hands. With only a fraction of a second to react, Sakura used the mirror to reflect the blast away from her and right back at Walker!  
  
"What? No!!!" Walker tried to turn away, but it was too late. The blast hit him and he fell to the ground writhing in agony.  
  
"It, it worked? It worked! It actually worked! I did it!" Sakura had never been so impressed with herself. Not only had she managed to summon a Card without the aid of her wand, but also she had managed to turn Walker's own magic against him. Li's faith in her had not been misplaced at all.  
  
'Thank you, Li,' Sakura thought to herself.  
  
But the battle was not over yet. Walker soon managed to get back onto his feet.  
  
"My powers," Walker weakly said, as though he were out of breath. "What have you done to my powers? What have you done to me?"  
  
"The same thing you were going to do to me," Sakura replied. She didn't mean to come off as sounding rude, but considering how much of a jerk Walker had been, she was finding it very difficult to stay polite.  
  
Walker opened up his hand. A small amount of energy fizzled in his palm. "You forget Sakura that I was only using half of my magical abilities," Walker said with a nasty smile. "I still had a small portion of my powers tucked away. It is all that I have left, but I am going to use it to make you pay for what you have done to me!"  
  
Concentrating as hard as he possibly could, Walker was able to make that last bit of energy take on the form of a sword. "Magic is only one of my many talents. I am also an expert duellist. We shall settle this contest with our skills as fighters!"  
  
"Fine by me," said Sakura. Right away, she knew which Card was best suited for this kind of battle-the Sword Card. Nevertheless, Sakura was a bit concerned that Walker might in fact be a better swordsman than she might. She had underestimated his abilities before and was not about to make that mistake again. She decided that, just to be on the safe side, she'd better use another Card in combination with the Sword.  
  
"Sword Card!" Sakura shouted. And by doing so, a sword appeared in her hand. Next, Sakura summoned the second Card she would use.  
  
"Fight Card! I command you to lend me your skills!"  
  
As the spirit of the Fight Card entered her body, Sakura suddenly felt like she was the greatest warrior who ever lived. And with this boost of strength, Sakura also felt her confidence increase as well. Li had been right when he said that she could pull this off. She could still hear those words that he said to her before she first entered the library:  
  
'Even if I'm not physically in the room, I'll always be with you in spirit.'  
  
As she prepared to face Walker down once and for all, Sakura really did feel as though Li were right there beside her.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
Yeah, I know. I'm back to doing short chapters again! I really am sorry, but you know that my college work must take priority over my writing. Nevertheless, I hope you still enjoy it. R&R! 


	15. Chapter 15

Ascension  
  
Chapter 15  
  
And so Sakura and Walker squared off in what would be their final confrontation. It was an incredible battle. As their two swords clashed together, metal against metal, Sakura found that she was glad that she had decided to use the Fight Card in combination with the Sword Card. The added fighting skills were allowing her to hold her own against Walker and his amazing swordsman skills.  
  
However, as the battle pushed on, Sakura began to realise that although she could hold her own, she was still not powerful enough to defeat the more superior Walker. She was starting to get tired while her opponent wasn't showing even the smallest sign of getting worn out.  
  
"I can see the fatigue growing in your eyes Sakura," Walker said with a sneer. "You can try your best all you want, but your best will never be enough to defeat me! Never!"  
  
With a lightening quick swipe of his blade, Walker sliced Sakura's left arm. Sakura staggered back in pain. She placed her right hand over the cut, which was now starting to bleed.  
  
"Owww!" cried Sakura. She looked up at Walker who was now laughing. He was actually taking pleasure in seeing Sakura suffer.  
  
'That's it!' Sakura thought to herself. She could now feel the anger building up inside of her. 'I've had enough of this guy! This ends now!'  
  
Sakura pulled out one more Star Card that might help her: the Power Card. Kero had warned her that using more than two Cards at once could be dangerous. However, Walker was leaving her with little choice. If Sakura was going to beat Walker, she would have to risk using a third Card.  
  
"Power Card! Lend me your strength!"  
  
As the energy of the Power Card entered her body, Sakura felt her strength increase. She knew that it wouldn't last long, so she would have to make this count. Moving as fast as she could, Sakura charged at Walker with her sword. Walker prepared to swing his sword in defence. However, when the two swords actually collided, Sakura's sword, re-enforced with the energy of the Power Card, shattered Walker's blade into a hundred pieces.  
  
Shocked, Walker stared at his bladeless hilt, unable to believe what had just happened. "My, my sword. But, but the last of my magic was in that blade! I'm nothing now!"  
  
Sakura pointed the tip of her sword at Walker. Already, she was starting to feel the effects of the Power Card draining away and her strength decreasing. Still, she knew she had to keep her strength up for just a little bit longer if she wanted to finish this.  
  
"I've beaten you twice already," Sakura said, trying very hard not to sound tired. "Are you going to cut me some slack already, or what?"  
  
Finally accepting the fact that he had lost, Walker got down on his knees and raised his hand in the air, indicating that he had now changed his vote.  
  
The Head Elder stepped forward. He looked down at the disgraced Walker and shook his head.  
  
"We are going to need to have a little talk with you about your recent behaviour," said the Head Elder. "Especially about that 'old man' remark you made." The Head Elder then turned to Sakura. From his cloak, he pulled out a beautiful golden medallion that was shaped like a pair of bird's wings. He placed the medallion over Sakura's neck.  
  
"Sakura Avalon," The Head Elder said, "we, the Elders, bestow upon you a symbol indicating that on this day, the 27th of July, you have successfully achieved Ascension. From this time forward, you may now legally, and proudly, call yourself a sorceress. Congratulations, Sorceress Sakura!"  
  
"I did it," Sakura said weakly before she collapsed on the floor. Using so much magic at once had taking its toll on her-so much so that she no longer had the strength to stand up. In fact, she was so weak and tired, she couldn't move at all. She found herself becoming extremely sleepy, as her body needed time to rest. She was barely able to whisper one more word before completely succumbing to her fatigue:  
  
"Li."  
  
And with that, Sakura closed her eyes and drifted out of consciousness.  
  
TO BE CONCLUDED  
  
Well, only one chapter left! It may take me a bit longer to write it though. I want to make sure that this story has a superb ending. I ask that you please be patient and I promise that I'll do my very best to make it worth the wait. R&R! 


	16. Conclusion

Ascension  
  
The Conclusion  
  
"Sakura? Sakura can you hear me?"  
  
Sakura slowly regained consciousness. As her eyes came back into focus, the first thing that she saw was the handsome Li staring back down at her.  
  
"Sakura! Are you alright?"  
  
"Uh, yeah," Sakura said, sitting up, "I think so." Sakura found that she had been lying on a sofa in the library. She also noticed that her left arm, where Walker had sliced her, was now bandaged up. "What happened? What am I doing here?"  
  
The Head Elder stepped forward. "You were somewhat exhausted from your confrontation with Walker so we decided to let you rest first before letting everyone know our decision. Traditionally, we prefer to have the Ascension candidate awake when we publicly announce the results of their test."  
  
Sakura took a look around the room. She noticed that Walker was nowhere in sight.  
  
"What happened to Walker?"  
  
"Let us just say that he is having a little 'time out' to think about what he did."  
  
Sakura looked back over at Li, who, judging by the expression on his face, was quite relieved to see that she was okay.  
  
"Say, how did you get in here Li?" asked Sakura. "I thought they weren't going to let anybody in until this was over?"  
  
"Well, the Elders seemed to think that it would be a good idea for me to be here when you regained consciousness." Li took a gander at Sakura's medallion. "From the look of it, I guess you succeeded."  
  
"Yes I did!" said Sakura, who unexpectedly threw her arms around Li and pulled him into a hug. This caught Li off guard (again), but he was quick to respond and the two found themselves locked in a mutual embrace. As they hugged, Sakura whispered into Li's ear: "And I couldn't have done it without you."  
  
Eventually, the two of them were able to pry themselves apart. They both were surprised over what they had just done, but neither seemed to regret it. They did, however, feel a slight degree of embarrassment when they remembered that the Elders were still there and watching them. The Elders didn't mind though. In fact, they seemed quite satisfied, almost as if they had expected Sakura to react this way (which is probably why they allowed Li to come in.)  
  
"Well, uh, I guess we shouldn't keep everybody waiting," Li said sheepishly.  
  
The door to the library opened. Sakura, Li, and the Elders stepped out into the main room where everyone had been anxiously waiting to learn what happened.  
  
"Ladies and Gentlemen," the Head Elder began, "say hello to Sorceress Sakura!"  
  
Everyone cheered and applauded loudly, especially Kero. "Three cheers for Sakura! Hip-hip-horrah!"  
  
Sakura blushed. She had never felt more special about having magical powers than she did at that moment. It was one of the happiest days of her life.  
  
The party continued on well past midnight before finally coming to an end. Sakura personally bid farewell to each guest as they left. Meanwhile, Yelan approached her son, who looked like he was trying to make a decision about something.  
  
"Penny for your thoughts Li?"  
  
"Mom? Um, do you remember what you said to me before? About there being an ulterior motive in my decision to stay with Sakura?"  
  
"I should hope that I remember. I'm the one who said it."  
  
"Well, let's say for the sake of argument that you're right. What should I do about it?"  
  
"I suspect you already know what you want to do."  
  
"But what if she says no? What if I end up scaring her off? What if-"  
  
"Don't go looking for problems Li; just do what you know you need to do."  
  
Taking a deep breath, Li walked over to Sakura, who had just said goodbye to the last guest.  
  
"Uh, Sakura?"  
  
"Yes Li?"  
  
"There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about."  
  
Meanwhile, Kero was busy finishing off the last of the leftover pudding. He stopped, however, when he noticed that Sakura and Li were having some sort of conversation. Judging from the look on Sakura's face, whatever Li was saying to her had come as a bit of a surprise. Kero perked up his ear to try and hear what they were talking about. He was only able to catch the last little bits of it though.  
  
"You're serious, aren't you?"  
  
"It's been a tradition in my family for generations. I take all of our traditions very seriously."  
  
"But aren't we kinda, well, you know, too young?"  
  
"I don't mean right now. But someday, when we're old enough, and unless one of us finds someone else, then we would. I once made a similar promise to Meilin, yet I never really gave it my full commitment. But I really want it to be different with us and to show you I'm sincere-"  
  
Li then lead Sakura into another room and closed the door. This had really caught Kero's curiosity and the small Guardian Beast flew up to the door and put his ear to it. Unfortunately, Kero couldn't make out what was being said.  
  
'What's goin' on in there?' Kero wondered. 'What are they up to?'  
  
Kero shouldn't have been so close to the door because when Sakura and Li finally came out, the door swung back and Kero was smacked into the wall!  
  
"Oyyyy, down I go..." groaned Kero as he fell to the ground.  
  
Yelan approached Sakura, who was now wearing a very happy smile. "Well Sakura, I suppose I'd better make arrangements to have you sent home. Should I book one seat on the plane or two?"  
  
"Two seats of course," Sakura replied. "After all, Li's coming back with me."  
  
Yelan looked over at her son. "Is that so Li?"  
  
"Yes mom. I still believe I should be around in case Sakura needs me."  
  
It was then that Yelan noticed a shiny gold ring on Sakura's finger that had not been there before.  
  
"Well okay Li," Yelan said. "If you think that's best."  
  
Sakura and Li both exchanged grins to each other and then scuttled off for bed. Yelan smiled. There was no doubt in her mind that one day Sakura would make a wonderful addition to the Showran family.  
  
THE END?  
  
Well that, as they say, is that. I hope you enjoyed reading this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'd say I did pretty well for my first CCS fic. I would definitely like to try my hand at a sequel. I don't know when I'll get around to it though. First I have to think of a story. I'm thinking, if at all possible, I'd like to do a story that has something to do with Ms. Mackenzie (or "Kaho" or whatever you want to call her). I may be some time before I write again (in fact, I've been known to go months without writing a fic) but if you would like me to contact you when I'm finally ready to do another fic, I'll be happy to do so.  
  
Toodles. 


End file.
